I'm running the RefrigeratedWarehouse idf model from E+ example files. We are performing a parametric study on the thermal mass of the frozen goods, which are modeled using InternalMass objects. I experimented with increasing/decreasing the thermal mass by scaling either the Surface Area of the InternalMass object or the Thickness of the associated Material object; both yield the same amount of thermal mass [kg] and specific heat [J/K] in the zone.
Other than looking at big picture meter timeseries like Electricity:Facility and Refrigeration:Electricity, are there specific Heat Transfer Surface output variables (or other Output:Variables) that would be worth investigating to see whether changing thickness vs. surface area of InternalMass has more impact on passive thermal storage using precooling setpoint schedules?
The first-principles hypothesis is that surface area is the more impactful parameter, but I'm curious how to "prove" this using E+ output.
